Far it be it from me, the essential stodgy High Churchman whose own stodginess and reservation that gets him referred to as an “old lady” by friends from times past and who is 99% in line with all that Miss Manners advocates, to assert in any way that I have an affinity for that which we call “Low Church.”

That being said, there is ever the danger of being trapped in the label game. The realm of religious affiliation is so broad that it’s easy for identity to shift; the label game becomes damning as it may entail a relatively superficial shift in what one appreciates in any given moment as opposed to a substantial change based on a profound, consciousness-shaking experience.

However, we should also not get caught up in whether every experience is amazing with potential to shatter the psyche. The ultimate goal we seek, the end-goal for which humans are made and for which we strive (at the very least unconsciously), is truly a shattering experience from the perspective of the ego, but each step need not be so or even noticeable.

That brings up the danger of assuming we progress without having any real proof of progress.

Before I digress too much, I need to speak on what I intend to speak.

High Religion is that which seeks to change the interior life of the individual, thereby rendering the outer circumstances of less importance- the state of enduring happiness and peace in the face of the worst external circumstances is a noble goal indeed. However, it does little to address the day-to-day needs of those still securely trapped in the ego-life.

Low Religion, on the other hand, seeks to change the outer circumstances to satisfy internal cues- in other words, Low Religion deals with magic and conjure, the ability to get what we want in this world.

That the Low Religion appears to be little more than satisfaction of the ego is entirely beside the point- “satisfaction of the ego” need not be an evil or wrong thing, though for many this is the implication.

Of course, in our modern-day religious climate with the various sorts of admonishments present in mainstream and not-so-mainstream religion about not doing things for personal gain, it’s no wonder that Low Religion that seeks to do such things is deemed evil and of the Devil. Oftentimes it seems that the very people who belong to the watered-down High Religions and who abuse their power and status in said religions are the first to make pronouncements about the evils of those who do as they do and do so openly and, more often than not, humanely.

I have found in Christianity as a whole a lacking of Low Religion. The best days of attending Mass and practicing the Sacraments along with contemplative prayer have great gain for the internal life but do not solve outer life problems.

And so I have turned to the folk varieties, to the saints, angels, and so forth. I have turned to lesser beings than the Holy Trinity Itself in order to remedy situations that have appeared in my life. Santa Muerte is especially one that has caught my interest.

I happened upon a video of a Santa Muerte Mass. It’s an actual Mass done in a shrine of Santa Muerte, and it’s beautiful- the liturgical elements are present while the Folk Elements are as well.

And it’s beautiful, a necessary synthesis that covers the Sacraments and Theosis as well as everyday life. Which is to say, I understand it on an intuitive level- it fuses reason with passion, it harmonizes the needs of the ego with the contemplation of the soul. I feel closer to God that His proclamation is done surrounded by Death herself. The experience is more vivid, more REAL- the divide, the divorce so often seen in other varieties of religion are gone.

Christ can baptism and legitimize anything He so wishes. Do not call unclean that which God hath cleansed.